Today was a winterscape day. The cold windy overcast melted vanilla sky was thick and full of fresh coconut colored clouds and they kept the sun hidden all day. We had a misty rain late afternoon. I went outsider and imagined the mist was sleet, hoping to see a few snow flakes but the rain left before the cold air made its way here. Haven’t given up on seeing a few flakes yet. January is usually the snowiest month in Alabama according to research.

Penelope had to go see vet brother this morning. She woke up at 3 AM coughing like a baby with the croup. Lasted forever till I gave her a little bit of honey and she finally quit coughing and went back to sleep. This happens every two months or so. She loves to find “trash” in the yard and scarf it down and that always makes her sick. I try to hard to watch her when we walk but she’s sneaky about it. She got a shot and an antibiotic so she should feel better by tomorrow.

No sunset today that was visible. Mother Nature painted her magnificent sun set pageant, hidden behind the clouds, not worrying about who would see her masterpiece of brush strokes in ribbon candy colors. Like I’ve said before, she paints her glorious end of the day for God, spreading his message of another beautiful day following this day, ending the day in a glorious burst of color as the sun wakes the night. Father Sky probably had a hard time dragging the moon and the stars out from under their thick vanilla cloud covers.

I’m having a little informal soirée Saturday with some friends from Alexander City. I’m still decorated for Christmas so I set the table with Christmas china and made some place cards. Still have a cedar tree in the dining room, fully decorated, sitting in my father’s pressure cooker. The tree is still alive and we put it up the weekend before Thanksgiving. The big cedar in the living room bit the dust and shed all over the living room and porch when we drug it out last week. Don’t know what the difference in the trees could be. My friends always enjoy my Christmas decorations but this year I didn’t go Christmas decorations crazy like I usually do. Getting too old to climb up and down the ladder. We’ll enjoy the tea party and have lots of laughs. They are all ages and sweet and congenial. I love them.

I think friends are one of the most wondrous gifts in our lives. A true friends is a true gift from God. I think we can say friends love us the way God loves us. He accepts us with all our faults, doesn’t judge our decisions, and never withholds his kindness or mercy. Friends listen to us and give us unconditional love. Like God, they worry about us and hold us close to their hearts. It would be lonely to walk through life without a friend to help guide the way. Friends provide honesty and confidence and support us with their love. We should never take our friendships for granted.

A good friend is kind, a good listener, a responsible and trusted confidant and is always available. Maintaining friendships takes effort. Friendship is an investment in life. Letting friends know you care about them and appreciate them strengthens the friendship. My dearest friend and I have a very close relationship. We’ve helped each other weather family tragedies. We’ve cried and leaned on each others shoulders when life disappointed us and we’ve supported each other as we grieved for our husbands. I would not want to walk through life without her. And I know she feels the same.

The Bible says, “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds it finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself.” Take time to be thankful to God for your faithful friends. They are true gifts!

“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” — C.S. Lewis